Crock Pot Whole Roasted Chicken with Summer Vegetables

Delicious and easy, this crock pot whole roasted chicken is the dinner of your dreams! There won’t be any hours of slaving over the stove and prep is a snap! Plus, whole roasted chicken is moist, flavorful, and pleases my entire family.

Whenever we have friends or family over for dinner, I like to make meals that seem like I put in tons of effort but don’t actually. I want to have time to do other things like prepare desserts like my easy millionaire pie, or clean the house! That’s what I love about this roasted whole chicken recipe. I can put it in the slow cooker and pretty much forget about it until it’s almost ready.

How To Roast A Chicken

While there are many methods all over the internet on how to roast a chicken, this is my spin! You can make the slow cooker do most of the work when you make this best roasted whole chicken recipe! That is a huge win in my world! 🙂

First Step: Remove neck and giblets from young chicken. (See directions on how to do this below)

Second Step: Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.

Third Step: Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray.

Fourth Step: Line the bottom of a slow cooker with potatoes, carrots, and onions.

Fifth Step: Place the chicken over the veggies breast side up.

Sixth Step: Rub the chicken with seasonings. Cover the chicken with seasonings well, because it will get a lot of flavor from the spices.

Seventh Step: Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours adding the summer squash during the last 30 mins of cooking.

How To Remove Chicken Giblets

When you purchase a whole chicken at the supermarket, you will find that there is a plastic bag inside the body of the chicken. This is the giblets and should be removed. All you need to do is reach in and put them out. Same thing with the neck of the chicken. It’s actually pretty straightforward, but I know it sounds scary when you don’t know what people are talking about when they say this.

How Do You Thaw A Whole Chicken?

If you are like me, you love to stock up on whole chickens when they go on sale. The best thing to do is freeze them and defrost when you are ready to use. The best way I have found to defrost the chicken is in the sink. First, check the packaging of the chicken to make sure it’s tightly closed. Then place it in the sink with cold water. Every thirty minutes to an hour change the water out with fresh cool water. It will take around 3-4 hours, depending on how big the chicken is. Another option is to place it in the fridge the day before you are ready to cook it.

Crock Pot Whole Roasted Chicken Variations

One thing that stands out for this best roasted whole chicken recipe is that you can do so much with it! My recipe calls for potatoes, carrots, onions, and squash. However, there are tons of things you can add to it too!

Sweet Potatoes – I love the texture and extra flavor of adding sweet potatoes to this whole roasted chicken. Try it out because if you are a sweet potato fan, you will love it.

Celery – Adding celery to anything with chicken, just makes sense to me! I love the flavors of the celery, and it compliments the slow roasted whole chicken perfectly.

Radish – If you haven’t tried roasted radishes, you have been missing out! They taste similar to potatoes and are much lower in carbs. Plus, they add gorgeous color to every dish they are in!

Asparagus – Cut up some asparagus and add them to the veggies on the bottom of the crock pot. Seriously so good, especially with the squash.

Turnips – I know that many people don’t eat turnips because they just haven’t tried them. You should consider adding some to the vegetable mixture because they are actually really delicious.

How Do You Store Crock Pot Whole Roasted Chicken?

You should store leftover slow roasted whole chicken in the refrigerator. Make sure to keep the leftovers in an airtight glass or plastic container with a lid. Keeping the leftover roasted chicken covered will prevent it from taking on flavors of other food in the fridge and keep it fresh longer. The perfect roasted chicken will last around 3-4 days in the fridge. You can store the chicken and veggies in the same container.

Once the chicken or vegetables start to deteriorate, you will notice an odor, possibly mold, and it could either be extraordinarily watery or dried out. If you notice any of these signs throw it out because it’s no longer safe to eat.

Can You Freeze This Roasted Whole Chicken Recipe?

Yes, absolutely you can freeze leftover roasted chicken. You can either remove the chicken from the bones and freeze it or freeze large pieces. Either way works great. The chicken and veggies can be in the same container. Just make sure to use a freezer-safe airtight container, and it will last approximately 4 months.

How Do You Reheat Crock Pot Whole Roasted Chicken?

You can reheat leftover chicken in the microwave or oven. If choosing the microwave, place the chicken and vegetables on a microwave safe plate or dish. Use a damp paper towel and cover the food. This will help keep it moist and prevent it from drying out. I recommend heating it in 30-second to 1-minute intervals until it’s hot enough.

You can heat the slow roasted whole chicken leftovers in the oven too. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. and bake for 20 -25 minutes. For best results, cover the pan with tin foil to trap in moisture.

Keep in mind, once you reheat the chicken, you can’t reheat it again. It should be consumed during that second warming, or it will start growing bacteria.